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Digest for 06-14-14

STATE

Anderson inks with Marlins

FAYETTEVILLE – Former University of Arkansas infielder Brian Anderson signed a professional contract with the Miami Marlins, as announced on Friday afternoon.

Anderson was selected in the third round by the Marlins and was one of six Razorbacks taken in the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He joins Chris Oliver who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday morning.

A native of Edmond, Okla., Anderson played and started in all 65 games for the Razorbacks in 2014 and posted a .328 batting average with seven home runs, 14 doubles and 51 runs batted in. He was 9 for 11 on stolen-base attempts and scored 39 runs, tallied 79 total hits and added three triples. Anderson’s 51 RBI led the team and he became the first Arkansas player since 2011 to reach the 50 RBI mark. He tallied 20 multi-hit games, recorded 12 multi-RBI contests and added a 13-game hitting streak during the year.

Anderson took his game to another level at the NCAA Charlottesville Regional, hitting .615 in four games with eight hits, three runs scored and a .688 on base percentage to earn All-Tournament honors.

In his 171-game Arkansas career, Anderson has hit .318 with 109 runs scored, 13 home runs and 98 runs batted in. He earned second-team All-SEC honors as a sophomore and was one of 50 collegiate players named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes midseason Award Watch List during the 2014 season.

Athlon names 11 Red Wolves preseason All-SBC

Athlon Sports has named 11 Arkansas State players, including six first-team selections, to its 2014 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Football Team.

Athlon’s preseason squad was made up of a first, second and third team, and the Red Wolves’ 11 players chosen were the third most in the league behind South Alabama (13) and Louisiana-Lafayette (12). Junior wide receiver J.D. McKissic earned recognition at three different positions to give A-State 13 total selections, matching the highest among all teams.

The A-State players named first team included junior running back Michael Gordon, junior defensive end Chris Stone, senior linebacker Qushaun Lee, junior corner Rocky Hayes, senior safety Sterling Young and McKissic at the kick returner position.

Picking up second-team honors for the Red Wolves were junior quarterback Fredi Knighten, junior tight end Darion Griswold, junior center Bryce Giddens and McKissic as both a wide receiver and punt returner.

Senior defensive lineman Dexter Blackmon and senior corner Artez Brown both represented Arkansas State on the third team.

Athlon Sports’ 2014 predicted order of finish in the Sun Belt Conference landed the Red Wolves at third behind first-place Louisiana-Lafayette and second-place South Alabama.

REGIONAL

Adams’ homer lifts Cards over Nats

ST. LOUIS — Matt Adams went 2 for 3 with a home run in his return from the disabled list, and Lance Lynn bested Jordan Zimmermann in a classic pitchers’ duel that resulted in a 1-0 St. Louis Cardinals victory over the Washington Nationals.

Lynn (7-4) took a perfect game into the sixth inning and yielded just two singles while fanning eight through eight. Trevor Rosenthal finished off the shutout by tossing a hitless ninth to nail down the Cardinals’ fourth win in five tries.

Zimmermann (5-3) was nearly as good in a complete-game effort that was spoiled by Adams’ blast in the bottom of the second inning. The right-hander allowed only three Cardinal hits and a walk while recording five strikeouts.

In a game where both starting pitchers were lights-out, Adams — playing for the first time since straining his left calf on May 28 — wound up making the difference in his first game back.

The first baseman belted the second pitch he saw from Zimmermann into the stands in right-center for what turned out to be all the support Lynn needed.

NATIONAL

Report: Legendary Steelers coach Noll dies

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review reported late Friday night that legendary Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll died at the age of 82.

Noll led the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s. and finished his career with a 209-156-1 record.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 — his first year of eligibility.